EAST STROUDSBURG – Hosting the 2023 NCAA Division II Super Region I Wrestling Championships, the East Stroudsburg University men's wrestling team saw freshman Brady Carter punch his ticket to the NCAA Division II National Championships on Saturday inside Koehler Fieldhouse.

After falling in his semifinals match at 125 pounds, Carter battled back with a 6-5 decision over Alderson-Broaddus' Noah Hodges in the consolation semifinals before securing his spot to Cedar Rapids, Iowa with an electrifying 11-6 decision against Mercyhurst's Billy Smith.

Dating back to 2010, Carter becomes the programs only NCAA qualifier at 125 pounds and first since Elliott Riddick and Michael Raccioppi advanced to the championships back in 2020.

As a team, ESU finished seventh in the team standings after totaling 50.5 points.

Notables

• Sophomore Luke Ciampa concluded a spectacular sophomore campaign with a fourth place finish at 165 pounds. After suffering a defeat to Kutztown's Dalton Gimbor in the quarterfinals round, Ciampa posted a major decision (14-4) over Shippensburg's Kyler Everly in the third round of the consolations and a 9-3 decision against Pitt-Johnstown's Dillion Keane in the consolation semifinals. Setting up a rematch with the Golden Bears' Gimbor, the redshirt freshman recorded an 8-2 victory over Ciampa. The Jefferson, N.J. native finished the season 24-6 overall.
   
• Fellow classmate Ajay Hiller notched a fourth place finish while wrestling at 197 pounds. The sophomore recorded a pair of victories before stumbling in a semifinal bout against Mercyhurst's Luke McGonigal. The Stroudsburg native responded with a come-from-behind pin over Alderson-Broaddus' Dwayne Johnson before falling to Pitt-Johnstown's Dakoda Rodgers in the third place match. Hiller closed out his sophomore season with a 21-12 record overall.
   
• Junior Josh Leidig captured a fifth place finish at 184 pounds after finishing the day 2-2. Leidig dropped his opening match to Pitt-Johnstown's Brock Biddle before coming back to pin Shippensburg's Owen Koch. Leidig would ultimately took fifth with a medical forfeit over Gannon's Cole Hivnor.
   
• In his first wearing the red and black, Carter heads to nationals with a 14-3 record overall and becomes the fifth NCAA qualifier under fourth-year head coach Anibal Nieves

How It Happened
125
Brady Carter (3-1) – 3rd Place
 
Carter by major decision over Brandan Meyers (Fairmont State) (11-2)
Jose Diaz (Gannon) by decision over Carter (8-7)
Carter by decision over Noah Hodges (Alderson Broaddus) (6-5)
Carter by decision over Billy Smith (Mercyhurst) (11-6)
 
133
Cameron Enriquez (0-0)
 
Chase Mclaughlin (Gannon) by injury default over Enriquez (East Stroudsburg)
Nathan Pelesky (Fairmont State) by medical forfeit over Enriquez (East Stroudsburg)
 
141
Jack Dardia (0-2)
 
Caleb Morris (Pitt-Johnstown) by tech fall over Dardia (16-0)
Joel Cawoski (Seton Hill) by major decision over Dardia (10-1)
 
149
Eric Falleni (1-2)
 
Nick Young (Gannon) by fall over Falleni (2:20)
Falleni by fall over Reese Polulak (Shippensburg) (4:05)
Colton Stoneking (Fairmont State) by decision over Falleni (9-5)
 
157
Bryce Parenti (0-2)
 
Joel Morth (American International) by decision over Parenti (5-2)
Kolton Parsons (Fairmont State) by fall over Parenti (5:39)
 
165
Luke Ciampa (3-2) – 4th Place
 
Ciampa by major decision over Evan Thompson (Fairmont State) (15-1)
Dalton Gimbor (Kutztown) by tech fall over Ciampa (19-4)
Ciampa by major decision over Kyler Everly (Shippensburg) (14-4)
Ciampa by decision over Dillon Keane (Pitt-Johnstown) (9-3)
Gimbor (Kutztown) by decision over Ciampa (8-2)
 
174
Jaccob Gonzalez (0-2)
 
Ethan Baney (Kutztown) by major decision Gonzalez (12-3)
Jack Mackiernan (American International) by decision over Gonzalez (12-6)
 
184
Josh Leidig (2-2) – 5th Place
 
Brock Biddle (Pitt-Johnstown) by tech fall over Leidig (16-0)
Leidig by fall over Owen Koch (Shippensburg) (2:13)
Riley O`Mara (Seton Hill) by fall over Leidig (0:49)
Leidig by medical forfeit over Cole Hivnor (Gannon)
 
197
Ajay Hiller (3-2) – 4th Place
 
Hiller by decision over Lucas Doyle (Millersville) (9-4)
Hiller by major decision over Trey Shoemaker (Shippensburg) (10-2)
Luke McGonigal (Mercyhurst) by major decision over Hiller (12-1)
Hiller by fall over Dwayne Johnson (Alderson Broaddus) (5:29)
Dakoda Rodger (Pitt-Johnstown) by decision over Hiller (5-0)
 
285
Kody Edwards (0-2)
 
John Meyers (Seton Hill) by fall over Kody Edwards (1:15)
Bishop Mccoy (Millersville) by tech fall over Edwards (22-7)
 
Up Next
Carter will turn their attention to the NCAA Division II National Championships, which are scheduled for March 10 and 11 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.